Rita Joe
Rita Joe CAN PC CM (March 15, 1932 - March 20, 2007) was a Mi'kmaq Canadian poet and song writer, often called the Poet Laureate of the Mi'kmaq people.Rita Joe, Canadian Encyclopedia, August 11, 2014. Web, Apr. 13, 2017. Life Joe was born Rita Bernard in Whycocomagh, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia,the daughter of Joseph and Annie Bernard. In 1942, she was orphaned. She married Frank Joe in 1954. They had 8 children and adopted 2 boys. In 1978, her debut collection, The Poems of Rita Joe was published. Over her lifetime she had 6 more books published. During her later years, Joe suffered from Parkinson's disease. Quotations *"Indians have in the past been portrayed as the bad guys, I write the positive image of my people, the Mi'kmaq." *"When I started the first time writing, I was trying to inspire all minorities with my work. To make others happy with my work is what I wanted to do." Recognition *In 1990, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.Rita Joe, Canadian Women Poets, Brock University, Web, June 3, 2012. *In 1992 she was made a Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. *In 1993 she was awarded an honorary LL.D. from Dalhousie University. *In 1997 she was awarded an honorary Litt.D. from the University College of Cape Breton (now Cape Breton University). *In 1997 she received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. *In 1998 she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Mount Saint Vincent University. Publications Poetry *''Poems of Rita Joe''. Halifax, NS: Abenaki Press, 1978. *''Song of Eskasoni: More poems of Rita Joe''. Charlottetown, PEI: Ragweed Press, 1988. *''Inu and Indians We’re Called''. Charlottetown, PEI: Ragweed Press, 1991. ISBN 0-9215-5622-5 *''We are the Dreamers: Recent and early poetry''. Wreck Cove, NS: Breton Books, 1999. ISBN 1-8994-1546-2 Non-fiction *''Song of Rita Joe: Autobiography of a Mi’kmaq poet''. Charlottetown, PEI: Ragweed Press, 1996; Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 1996; Wreck Cove, NS: Breton Books, 2011. Juvenile *''For the Children'' (illustrated by Burland Murphy). Wreck Cove, NS: Breton Books, 2008. Edited *''The Mi'kmaq Anthology'' (edited with Lesley Choyce. Lawrencetown Beach, NS: Pottersfield Press, 1997. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Rita Joe, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Oct. 11, 2014. See also *Canadian First Nations poets *List of Canadian poets *Timeline of Canadian poetry References * * * Notes External links ;Poems *3 poems by Rita Joe, Cape Breton's Magazine ;Books *Rita Joe at Amazon.com ;About *Rita Joe in the Canadian Encyclopedia *Rita Joe at Canadian Women Poets *Rita Joe, 1931-2007 at Native American Authors *Tribal Fires Bio * Aboriginal Multi-Media Society Bio *Dr. Rita Joe at DanielNPaul.com *"Rita Joe: Turning a painful past into poetry," Global News Category:1932 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Canadian poets Category:Canadian women writers Category:First Nations writers Category:Members of the Order of Canada Category:Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada Category:Mi'kmaq people Category:People from Inverness County, Nova Scotia Category:People with Parkinson's disease Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease Category:20th-century poets Category:Poets